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January 26, 2006
Storytelling is a popular form amongst American musicians. So what kind of stories do they tell?
A Ry Cooder quote on American popular music:
'Failure of the American dream is the story.'The story of American pop music is the story of failure. The blues, country music, it's not the story of success. People don't win, they lose.'
That's capitalism, US style, for you.
A classic example is Ry Cooder's Chavez Ravine's story about a world of corruption and greed made from the multicultural melting pot of LA
Inspired by Don Normark’s book Chavez Ravine, 1949: A Los Angeles Story this album recreates various aspects of the poor but vibrant hillside Chicano community, which was bulldozed by developers in the 1950s in the interest of 'progress.' The Dodgers Stadium ultimately was built on the site. It is a story told through the music, and one that recaptures the musical culture of a lost era. Tis a sorry tale of 'urban renewal':
The tale is about political power and prejudice in East Los Angeles during the McCarthy era being used to prevent public housing for the Chicano poor. Chavez Ravine was supposed to be the site of a public housing development by Richard Neutra. This plan never came to pass, as it fell victim to a coordinated attack from land developers who wanted to stop public housing and local McCarthyites who charged proponents of the plan with being “communist agents”.
Tis a story about life being supplanted by sports in a city where life is a shopping mall. This is a world premised on the replacement of real life with virtual life of Disney, McDonalds or Starbucks.
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Well said, Ry. Failure of the American Dream.
"Bring me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses...and I will keep them tired and poor and huddled in ghettos."
Where's My Jetpack?
Lyrics here:
http://www.radiofreebabylon.com/music/rfbmusicrfbwmj.php